A Change of Tune
by BundyShoes
Summary: A series of 'Beth Lives' AU. Some start at THAT point of the episode, some start earlier. All involve Beth living in the long run, no matter what. Includes Bethyl, of course. Warnings, if any, will be put at the beginning of each chapter.
1. PART 1

-x-

PART 1

-x-

They don't go far to bury her, wanting to lay her to rest as soon as possible.

They head back to the church for the service, all with varying degrees of sorrow and pain on their faces. Daryl's expression is completely blank, his eyes to the ground. There are no more tears that he can shed. He feels numb to all that around him. He can't even look at the small grave because it's just too much. He doesn't even hear Gabriel, who didn't even _know_ her, speaking her eulogy. He doesn't hear the sobs from those around him. He just doesn't feel anything anymore.

Piling into the truck, they take off quickly, dust flying in the wind as they leave behind the girl- the _woman_ who had brought so much sunshine into their lives, who had given them hope and strength and love. No one speaks.

Her gravesite is small and the freshly turned dirt that covers it is still.

The air seems to shift for a moment.

Suddenly a hand shoots out from below, earth flying everywhere. It claws the ground, looking for purchase. The hand grows into an arm and then blonde hair emerges from the dark.

Beth takes a deep gasp of fresh air, blood in her eyes and hair as she tries to manage the pain and understand what is happening. She heaves herself over and onto her back. She's panting as one hand moves trembling up to her jaw which is bleeding heavily anew. She's gasping in pain and trying to stay conscious. The pain is excruciating but she manages to stay awake.

Twigs crunching nearby have her on alert and she tries to remember if there's a weapon nearby or on her but she comes up empty. She braces herself and tries to see who is walking towards her. God help whatever walker tries to eat her now.

It is a man. But he is not of the dead.

His hood and mask hide his face but Beth knows he is alive. He walks closer to her, his steps cautious. She continues to take deep breaths, all thoughts of pain gone, only thoughts of survival reside.

He is next to and above her now and she wishes she had a weapon. She wishes she weren't so vulnerable.

The man says something but her ears cannot catch it.

"W-what?" She gasps.

He pauses. And then he takes his mask off.

Beth doesn't know it, but it is Morgan.

He leans down and gently assesses her wound. When he reaches for her she tries to bat his hand away, but her strength is lacking horribly at the moment and she only manages a weak swatting motion.

The man pauses again. "You need medical help. I have it. Do you want it?"

Beth studies him, narrowing her eyes, feeling the blood still seeping. She takes another breath, this time more calming.

"Yes."

-x-

Daryl is on watch along the wall again. He can't bring himself not to be, unwilling to be around anyone anymore. He continuously scours the trees that surround Alexandria, looking for any possible danger, knowing it is probably unlikely. There haven't been many walkers around these parts for a long while.

He is just about to turn back in the other direction when movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention.

It is a man.

Daryl is already lifting his crossbow when something else catches his eye.

The man has a companion. They are petite, despite the man's average size, and Daryl realizes with a jolt that they are alive.

Then he catches sight of the companion's face.

His heart stutters to a stop.

His crossbow crashes to the ground below and he is jumping off the wall and running towards the gate as fast as possible.

He is screaming for them to open it, his voice hoarse from lack of use from the past few months. They look at him like he's crazy but he pays them no mind because they don't matter.

The doors creak open and Daryl wants to fall to knees but cannot find the energy to do so all of a sudden. He cannot believe his eyes, but there she is.

Beth is standing right in front of him and he thinks maybe this is a dream- or maybe he's finally waking up. He doesn't know anymore.

She looks like she did at the hospital, looks like she did at the funeral home, looks like she did after the fall of the prison and before, but she is also different. There is another scar along her jaw to match the ones on her cheek and forehead. Her eyes are hardened and dark but when they land on him they brighten and shine.

He stumbles forward.

"How are- I thought-" he shakes his head, "I saw you die, Beth. I buried you myself. How are ya-?"

She smiles softly at him and walks towards him.

"You know, Mr. Dixon, it wouldn't kill ya to have a little faith," she teases. But her eyes are bright and he sees how her hands are shaking and suddenly his feet are flying towards her and she is in his arms and he is never letting go again.

-x-


	2. PART 2

-x-

PART 2

(_mentions some bloody images and violence, so warning_)

-x-

"The deal is done," Rick snarls.

Beth stands next to Daryl, her hands trembling as her vision turns red.

They were almost out; they were almost free. Of course Dawn would pull this.

She wants to scream as Noah tells Rick it's alright, as he begins to walk towards Dawn. Instead she rushes forward, the surgical scissors burning a brand into her arm inside the cast.

Daryl and Rick immediately try to grab her, to pull her back, but she is too quick and in seconds she has Noah's arm in her hand and then her arms around him. Holding him firmly as her eyes squeeze shut for a moment, she takes a deep breath. She opens her eyes only to catch Dawn's gaze and Beth knows what she has to do. What she'd already decided she has to do.

She lets go of Noah and steps in front of him, blocking him from Dawn. She can see Daryl in the corner of her eye trying to make his way closer to her, but she won't let him stop her. She begins to nudge the scissors down, getting a good handle on it. As she moves closer to Dawn, the tension in the room skyrockets.

"I get it now," she murmurs for Dawn's ears only. The lady cop narrows her eyes, her hand moving to rest near her holstered gun. Beth takes note of this without looking down. She takes another step forward until she is toe to toe with the other woman.

Before Dawn can even grab her weapon, Beth is already striking. She whips her arm up, bringing the scissors directly to Dawn's jugular, slicing into the flesh. The hand that had been reaching for her gun now rushes to her throat. But Beth is not done.

She pushes the scissors farther in, making sure Dawn will not recover. She shoves the woman down on her knees, forcing the damage deeper. Blood is splattering Beth's face and neck and shirt but she does not pay this any mind. Instead, her mind is blank as she watches Dawn's wide eyes stare up at her.

Words are only gurgles as Dawn tries to say something but Beth has ruined her throat beyond speech, beyond breathing. Dawn collapses backwards, her hands uselessly trying to stem the flow of blood.

Beth barely notices the other cops reacting, nor her own people responding in turn. She watches the light leave Dawn's eyes, the scissors still grasped in her palm, the blood slick against her fingers and caking her cast.

She feels someone touch her arm and she knows without looking that it's Daryl. He's pulling her back, towards him and away from the cops who are all on edge, and she allows him. She looks once more at Dawn on the floor and turns her back, a ringing in her ears following her as she walks away. She thinks she hears Rick saying something to the cops, but doesn't hear him, only knows that Daryl is leading her to the double doors and out of this hellhole.

-x-


	3. PART 3

-x-

PART 3

-x-

They had successfully completed the exchange, Dawn thankfully not pulling anything like Beth had been expecting. She now walked down the hallways next to Daryl, feeling his arm brush hers with every step. A fluttering in her chest began to overwhelm her and suddenly the need to be outside of this hospital was too much.

Rick pushed open the doors leading outside and Beth couldn't help but guard her eyes as the sunlight her face. It felt like it had been forever since she'd been outside these walls and she couldn't wait until they were once again on the road and in the woods. She would be happy to never smell that antiseptic smell again.

Her skin warmed in the light and she moved her arm away to bask in it. A smile began to force its way onto her lips and, feeling a lightness in her chest that hadn't been there since the funeral home, she grinned.

When something brushed her arm again, she looked over and met Daryl's lowered gaze. His eyes were warm and relieved but nervous and he didn't seem to know what to do with his body or his words.

She beamed at him and the ball of warmth that had been kindling in her heart bubbled over at the sight of him. She hadn't allowed herself that relief back in the hallway, but now, finally free of that place, she let it overcome her.

"I told ya I could take care of myself," she teased, and it was the first thing she's said to him since she had been taken. His mouth twitched and he ducked his head.

"Yea, ya did," he murmured. His thumb jumped to his lower lip and she felt her heartbeat quicken suddenly. She darted her eyes back to his, pushing it away for a second.

It was silent for a moment between them and Beth realized belatedly that they had paused in the middle of the street. The others were a little bit ahead but Beth wasn't in any hurry for some reason. She felt content just standing there with Daryl in that moment. She reached out to touch his arm.

"I missed ya," he blurted out, and then subsequently gnawed on his thumb as his cheeks heated up. She felt her throat constrict and a burning in her eyes but that warm feeling didn't leave, only grew.

Words escaped her and she had been silent for too long as he looked visibly more nervous now. He ripped his hand away from his mouth and started to walk forward but her hand darted out without a thought.

She pulled him back to her by his bicep and leaned up on her tip toes, aiming for his cheek, but he turned at the last second and her lips landed on his.

It was chaste and sweet and Beth had never felt more alive and happy and free than in that moment. His eyes were wide, but not filled with any type of rejection. Just shock that she had done that and probably the tiniest bit of joy. She hadn't meant to do that, but she was happy it happened nonetheless and as she gently palmed his cheek with her other hand, she smiling softly up at him.

"I missed ya too, Daryl Dixon."

He didn't react for a moment, but then grinned down at her and she felt her heart soar.

He went to say something in return, and she stroked her thumb against his cheek in encouragement, but a voice interrupted him at that moment.

"_Beth!_" her sister screamed from a distance, but Beth didn't look just yet. She kept her gaze on Daryl and only when he smiled gently at her and nod did she allow herself to move away.

She had made it.

-x-


	4. PART 4

-x-

PART 4

-x-

It was after Dawn had left the room that Beth noticed something different about Carol's unconscious form.

She was waking up.

Beth scrambled up from the floor, making sure no one was in the hallway that could see what was going on. Beth didn't want anyone knowing Carol was awake yet. Just not yet.

She leaned over her friend, watching as her eyes fluttered open groggily. Beth was surprised she was even conscious at this point, her injuries had been so severe, but, nonetheless, she was thankful. She had heard over Dawn's walkie-talkie that there were shots nearby, and then the subsequent radio silence from the cops that went to check it out (for Noah) told her it wasn't just walkers causing trouble for people passing through.

With Carol right here, she knew it had to be her group. Her family.

And if they were in the area, then they would be coming here. She knew it. She knew it deep in her bones, and she also knew she couldn't let them step foot in this hospital. There would be nothing but bloodshed and death, and she wasn't willing to risk her family's life like that. She needed to get her and Carol out of here before any negotiations or attacks happened.

"Carol?" she whispered, a hand finding its way to the older woman's shoulder. "Carol," she repeated, slightly pressing down to get her attention.

"…Beth?" the other woman's voice was hoarse but aware. She blinked a couple more times before focusing in on Beth's face. "I guess I can safely assume where I'm at, huh?" she joked weakly.

Beth found she couldn't even offer a smile. It looked forced and she didn't bother trying.

"How are ya feelin'?" she asked instead.

"Like I got run over by a car," Carol groaned, trying to sit up. Beth was quick to reach for her, helping her to do it gently. "What's been goin' on? Has Daryl showed yet?"

Beth's head shot up at the name, her eyes wide and her heart clenching. "Daryl? Daryl is here?" her voice was so hopeful it was almost embarrassing. But she couldn't help it and she didn't try to hide it from her friend.

Carol studied Beth's face and then smiled softly. Beth got the feeling it had been awhile since she had smiled, because it almost seemed awkward on the older woman's face. But regardless, she waited with bated breath for her answer.

"Yea, he's here. We were with the others at this church-"

"The others are alive?" Beth whispered, almost hesitantly.

Carol nodded, "Everyone, plus a few new people. We were at a church where we met this priest. Me and Daryl were outside when a car went by. It was black with a-"

"White cross," Beth finished with her.

Carol nodded again, "We were next to a car at the time and he just rushed into action and then we were followin' them. We made it to Atlanta and bumped into Noah. He said he knew you." The older woman continued to study Beth's face as she explained what had happened.

Beth nodded along, happy to hear Noah got out and met up with her family and that Daryl had made it from the funeral home. She had never had a doubt…but it was still nice to know.

Carol was watching Beth as the younger girl took in everything. She glanced away to look around her room. It was a generic hospital room and the door was closed almost all the way. Carol was thankful for that.

"We need ta get outta here," Beth spoke up suddenly. Carol's eyes darted back to the blondes, narrowing in thought.

"How are your legs?" Beth asked, her forehead pinched in thought.

Carol tried to move them, wincing at the pain that traveled all the way up her body.

"Not well…if we're gonna have ta move then I'm gonna be slow. I'm only gonna drag ya down."

Beth was silent as ideas raced through her head. She sat back onto the bed, her head turned down to the floor. Carol stared at the younger girl, the stitches on her once smooth skin sticking out even in the dim light. Carol wondered what had happened here, what had happened to Beth. She didn't seem like the young girl from the prison nor the farm, she seemed stronger, she seemed to be…_more_ than who she used to be. Beth's eyes turned to Carol and the older woman had to blink back her surprise at the determination and fire in her eyes.

"We should burn it down," Beth proclaimed. A tiny smile curled at the edge of the blonde's mouth, as though she was in on a joke that Carol was clueless about.

Carol thought about it though, remembering Terminus and that rush that went through her. She thought about the people here and the scars on Beth's face and what Noah had told them. The tiny smirk on Beth's face only grew on Carol's.

"What's the plan?"

-x-

Rick had only looked away from the hospital for a second, so he was surprised when he turned back to the window to see a wall of fire.

The hospital was burning.

He gestured to the rest of the group, but it was pointless since they had noticed it already as well. Daryl was tense next to him, ready to probably run out the door and ransack the building, but Rick grabbed his shoulder, forcing the archer to face him.

"We need to go," Rick muttered, "But we need to be smart."

Tyreese and Sasha were pale beside them, but both determined. Noah was shaking slightly but he looked vengeful as he stared at his once-prison.

"How do we know how it was started?" he asked aloud. He looked over at the older group, his fists clenched.

"Do you think it was-?" Tyreese began, and Rick was quick to nod.

"It was Beth," Daryl answered, catching everyone off guard. They had all immediately jumped to Carol and a repeat performance of Terminus. He was gazing at the hospital, the flames so large they reflected in his blue eyes. His voice was soft but strong and Rick wondered what his brother was thinking about.

"They're going to be makin' their way out, and they're gonna need a ride," Rick spoke, a smirk spreading across his face. "Let's go give 'em a lift."

Something seemed to come over Daryl at those words, as he continued to watch the flames burn down the haven of those who had taken Beth. Rick watched, fascinated, as Daryl's lips stretched back over his teeth, baring them in a wolfish grin.

Rick wondered why his brother's hand twitched as though he wanted to raise it high in the air in a salute.

Instead, Daryl turned away from the window, hitching his bow up higher on his back.

"Let's go get 'em, then," he smirked. "They're waitin' on us."

-x-


	5. PART 5

(_quick reminder that i havent seen the ep since it aired, and have only remembered some things bc of gifsets or fanfics, so the bits that should be kinda following canon kinda dont...if that makes any sense lmao enjoy~_)

-x-

PART 5

-x-

O'Donnell was choking Dawn and the woman looked to be losing consciousness pretty fast. As much as Beth hated the woman, she'd rather deal with her than the male cop. She ran at O'Donnell's back, tearing her nails into his shoulders, trying to drag him or at least pull his concentration from Dawn.

It worked as he took one hand away from Dawn to roughly shove Beth to the ground. Dawn took that opportunity to knock the man's arms away, but Beth had stopped paying attention.

O'Donnell's fallen gun lay right next to her on the ground.

She darted a quick glance at the two scuffling officers, making sure they weren't paying any attention to her, before reaching out and grabbing it. Smoothly standing back up, twisting to face the pair, the gun was tucked into the back of her pants and under her shirt before either cop realized what she was doing. She waited, watching the two for an opening of some sort, to make any type of move.

It came when Dawn managed to push O'Donnell away from her and over to Beth. She screamed the blonde's name and Beth acted without thinking.

Her hands were pushing him down the elevator shaft before she realized what she was doing.

His scream echoed off the walls as his body plunged. A single impact against a jutted out piece of the elevator cut him off, a disgusting crunching noise filling the air. His body landed face down against the pile of corpses at the bottom. Beth could hear the moans of walkers coming towards him and she looked away, coming face to face with Dawn.

The older woman studied her for a moment, and Beth resisted the urge to reach for the gun still tucked behind her shirt, worried the cop could tell her secret. But after a beat, Dawn nodded at her and Beth tried not to breathe a sigh of relief.

"I owe you one," Dawn murmured, and Beth's mouth twitched as she filed that away. Owing payments was how things worked around here and, if she had to, Beth would use that to her advantage. She nodded back though, keeping her features innocent and clear. Dawn glanced once more at the elevator before walking away. Beth followed after her.

-x-

Beth wheeled Carol down the hall, the gun burning a hole in her back. Officer Jude walked beside her and Beth forced herself not to glance at him. She could only hope he'd keep up his end of the deal. Her life and her family's depended on it, unfortunately.

She could see her family standing at the end of the hall, but couldn't allow herself to look at them, not yet. She needed to stay focused and she worried that if she did look up, she'd give away her intentions.

That couldn't happen. She had to go through with this.

She clenched the handlebars tighter, biting her lip. The group stopped a certain distance away from the other side.

Dawn called for the first exchange and Carol was taken from her.

Beth glanced over at Officer Jude as the trade took place and he gave her a subtle nod. Beth's heartbeat raced a bit more, knowing the moment was at hand. She had to do this carefully though.

Cautiously, keeping an eye on Dawn, who stood her left, she slipped her right hand back and slowly pulled out the gun, keeping it close behind her hip and out of sight. None of the cops around her did anything, having hopefully been notified by Jude already about what was going to happen, and nobody tipped Dawn off. Beth kept her gaze to the ground, hoping none of her family could see, but betting Rick or Daryl had already noticed. Hopefully they wouldn't say anything because she wasn't going back now.

Carol had successfully been transferred over and now it was her turn.

Dawn gripped her arm (a little too tightly) and began to pull her forward. Beth went along pliantly, but behind her back she flipped the safety off. She kept her eyes on the ground but her head lolled as Dawn continued to drag her.

About halfway over, Beth spoke, cutting through the tension-filled hallway: "I get it now."

She could see Dawn turning to her but Beth moved without thinking. Bringing her arm swiftly around and up, she pulled the trigger and watched as the bullet ripped through the other woman's forehead, causing her head to whip back, her grip loosening on Beth's arm. Blood sprayed and Dawn's expression was one of shock as she collapsed to the ground.

Everything seemed to slow down and move fast around her as she gazed at the crumpled body by her feet. Her mind went fuzzy, but she could hear the people around her moving into action, pulling weapons out in confusion and instinct. All she could do at that moment, though, was fixate on Dawn's dead eyes as they stared up at her in accusation. Her gut churned and bile rose, but Beth pushed it back, forcing her expression to harden, to not let her emotions show. She turned towards her family. Rick and the rest looked at her with mixed emotions, mostly shock. Daryl's expression was unreadable to her at the moment. The woman cop stood hesitantly near the halfway mark, ready to be exchanged back to her group, but unsure about what to do. Beth's eyes narrowed.

"_Go_," she spat, making her words as forceful as she could.

The cop moved back to her people and Beth turned that way to look at Officer Jude. Their eyes connected and Beth made sure her shoulders were straight and her posture tall.

"We done here?"

Officer Jude studied her, and Beth resisted the urge to shudder, keeping her stance. He nodded and Beth didn't wait to turn away and walk over to her family, not sparing one more glance at the corpse on the ground.

When she reached Rick and Daryl's side, she muttered, "We gotta go- _now_." And the double doors closing behind her was like music to her ears.

-x-


	6. PART 6

(_probably my favorite one thus far tbh. Enjoy :)_)

-x-

PART 6

-x-

When she woke up, it was to total darkness and blinding pain. She sucked in a breath only to get a mouthful of stale air. It seemed to close around her and before she could get herself under control, she began to panic. Her head was pounding and her wrist started aching as she banged her hands against whatever was holding her down.

In her haze, she realized she was constrained in a box of some sorts. The lid above her refused to move and Beth tried to get a hold of herself so she could come up with a plan. She forced herself to calm down, to lie still, and to think through her options and her situation.

She tried to think back to what she remembered last.

A gunshot echoed in her ears and her forehead throbbed in retaliation. She allowed her left hand to travel up and cautiously feel her skull out, wincing when her fingers brushed against a bandage wrapped tightly around her head. Memories flooded her already full mind as she remembered stepping up to Dawn, protecting Noah, and stabbing the cop in the throat with the surgical scissors. She never saw Dawn's arm move, only something behind the woman flash and then a loud gunshot sounded. Beth had felt her head whip back as something impacted it, and her body collapsed to the ground lifelessly. She remembered hitting the cold floor and she remembered wavering between the darkness and awareness, hearing another shot go off and then someone crying above her. She heard Rick saying something but it was a murmur underwater to her at that point. The only thing she remembered after that was strong arms lifting her up and then her consciousness fading out.

Her hands lifted up to the lid again, letting her fingers feel out the wood. They must've buried her, she thought, a chill gliding down her spine. They must've thought she was dead.

She let out a strangled sob. 'And why wouldn't they?' she thought. 'I did get shot in the _head_ of all places.'

She sucked in a breath, readying herself, centering herself.

She had to find a way out of here- the air couldn't last forever. Who knew how much time she had been laying in here anyway.

Pushing against the lid again, this time not in a panic, she felt for a weakness. She tried maneuvering her body to where her knees were up against her chest, her feet planted against the lid. She didn't feel any dirt or anything against the top, so she hoped she hadn't actually been buried underground. She took one more breath before kicking out.

The lid rattled from the force and she did it again and again until it moved up. Light spilled through and Beth became frantic for more. She pushed the lid off and sat up, sucking in a huge breath of fresh air.

Collecting herself, she glanced around her, checking out her environment since she was obviously not underground. Her coffin was sitting at the front of a church. The front doors of the building looked like they had been through hell, as though they had been taken off their hinges and then reattached again. The room looked like a herd had run through it.

She was alone.

_Alone_.

That thought urged her to scramble out of her coffin, her body flopping out onto the ground below. Her head was screaming at her but she needed to get out of that box, she needed a second.

Her hands rested on the ground as she tried looking for evidence that anyone else was around. Maybe she missed something. Maybe they _were_ still around. Or - maybe they left something that could tell her where they went.

She wanted to call out, but she knew that might be stupid. If it looked like a herd had gone through here, then they might still be nearby and she couldn't risk bringing a bunch of walkers her way- not now when she was so weak and vulnerable. She didn't even have a weapon.

She took a breath and tried to push herself to her feet. They barely cooperated and she had to grip a nearby alter for support. She noticed a bathroom nearby and started making her way over in that direction. Hopefully she could get a good idea of the full damage of her condition.

By the time she reached the room, she was breathing heavily and was leaning against any stable surface to keep her upright. She stumbled into the sink and then glanced up.

She was definitely a sight.

Someone had bandaged her up, probably even stitched her wound, judging by the work and the feeling of her forehead. It had bled through a little, but she didn't know where any other bandages were to change it so she had to hope it didn't get infected. She reached up and felt lightly around it.

The pain that radiated made her lose her breath and suddenly she was hyperventilating. She remembered once again when the bullet ripped through her skull and her knees almost gave out as she thought about it over and over.

She should've been dead. Why was she not dead?

Her chest heaved erratically as she stumbled back from the mirror and then doubled over onto the carpet right outside the door. Her knees hit hard, but it was nothing in comparison to the pain in her head and her heart. Her hands braced on the ground and she withheld the tears that threatened to emerge.

"Is this real?" she gasped out, "Am I really here?" She patted the floor near her head. Maybe she really was dead and this was just some weird…purgatory that she had woken up in. Maybe she was being tortured for doing something so stupid- risking her family's life like that, rushing into a stand off like that with only a pair of small scissors - literally bringing a knife to a gunfight. She had acted without thinking and now she was alone. Her fingers curled and she felt a scream building up in her throat.

When it freed itself, it was but a shadow of what it could have been. Only wheezing sounds emitted as she rested her forehead against the carpet.

She would probably never see them again. Her family. She didn't even get to say hello, much less goodbye.

"_I'm glad I didn't say goodbye. I hate goodbyes._"

"_Me too._"

A sob ripped out as her fingers trembled and clenched.

_Daryl_.

Oh God. He was there, he saw her…

"Daryl," she whimpered, pressing her fists into the ground. He thought she was dead. She was dead. She had to be. Oh God.

Her skull throbbed again and she hissed, alleviating the pressure on her wound by turning onto her right side, her cast-enclosed hand curling around her torso.

She paused there, still laying on the ground, her knees curled awkwardly in a fetal position and her fingers clenched next to her. Her thoughts continued to race.

Her skull hurt. Her wound hurt. That wouldn't happen if she was dead, right? She glanced down at her wrist that lay near her face. The scar that ran across it brought her such blinding clarity in that moment.

She was alive.

Oh God, she was alive.

Strength flooded her limbs and she pushed her body into a standing position. Only when her feet were firmly planted on the ground did she allow herself to release the tension.

She wasn't going to give up now. She couldn't.

"_Wouldn't kill ya to have a little faith._" Her words fluttered back to her and she couldn't help but smile. It hadn't killed her. She'd make sure it'd stay that way.

First things first- she looked around for a weapon of any type. If she was going to find them, she needed to protect herself for the journey. The bathroom had been inside an office of some sort and nearby on a desk she saw a letter opener. It was better than nothing so she went over to retrieve it.

Right as her fingers brushed against the handle, she heard footsteps entering the church. Her hair rose and she immediately tensed up and readied for a fight.

She crept over to the doorway, making sure she was out of sight. The pain in her forehead was a dull throb but manageable, so she ignored it as she peered around the doorjamb. A man walked up the aisle, a hood obscuring his identity, and Beth clutched the letter opener like a lifeline. It probably would end up being one by the end of this, she thought.

The man stepped up to the alter that hid her coffin. He didn't seem to notice it, nor the scattered bits of woods she had left strewn about after her escape. For that, she was thankful. She'd have some sort of advantage since he was not yet aware of her presence.

He kneeled in front of the alter, placing a couple of items down, before something seemed to have caught his attention. Beth held her breath as the man reached out for something laying on the ground. When he brought it back up she narrowed her eyes at what appeared to be a map. She hadn't noticed it before and wondered if it had been left behind by her people. The man seemed to be reading something written on it and was chuckling at whatever it was.

Beth warred with herself about whether or not to make herself known. He might be dangerous, but she had preached about there being good people left. Something in her gut told her she should take that chance and though her gut had led her a little astray just recently, she was still alive and that had to count for something.

Sending a quick prayer up, she slowly eased her body out from behind the doorway. Making a slight amount of noise, she didn't flinch when he whirled in her direction, his weapon at the ready. He narrowed his eyes at her, studying her. She allowed him to, clenching her letter opener in her hand, slightly out of sight.

He must've seen something on her face that settled him a little bit because it was then that he spoke.

"Who're you?"

Beth didn't speak, biting her lip instead. Her shoulder were squared and she lifted her chin. His eyes roamed her face and she allowed that too. They stopped on her forehead.

"What's your wound? Did you get bit?"

She didn't answer, but took a step forward. He lifted his machete higher in warning.

"Did…you…get…_bit_?" he growled out. She shook her head and his tension eased a little.

"What is your wound?" he asked.

"Gunshot," she murmured. His eyes widened at that, and she supposed it was even more bizarre for other people to hear she survived such a thing.

"What are you doin' here, girl? Don't you have people?"

She hesitated.

She took a chance, hoping her father would be looking after her, hoping that her gut hadn't led her wrong. "I think they left me behind." _They think I'm dead_ was what echoed throughout the holy building.

He looked at her with something akin to awe, "How did you survive then?"

She shrugged, rearranging her grip on her weapon. He didn't seem threatening but she still couldn't relax.

"I just woke up a little while ago," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse, seeing as she hadn't talked so much since the hospital, and she tried clearing her throat. "I was about to look for evidence of where they went." She paused. "Then you showed up."

He seemed to consider something then and Beth took that chance to glance again at the map in his hands. He followed her gaze and brought it up to show.

It looked like a map out of Georgia and there was some sort of written scrawl at the bottom. The man's next words caused her heart to stutter.

"Do you know Rick Grimes?"

The "yes" tumbled out before she could stop it. The man's eyes lit up and he took another step forward. It didn't feel threatening so Beth didn't move away, but she watched him carefully.

"Is he a part of your group?"

Beth bit her lip before revealing: "He's our leader."

The man took this in and his eyes moved down to the floor. Beth watched as a small smile of what looked to be relief crossed his face. It wasn't one of malice or anger. It was one that spoke of miracles and closeness.

"How do you know him?" she wondered aloud. He glanced up at her and the smile stayed.

"I met him early in The Turn. I found him wandering the streets in hospital clothes." He hesitated, "He didn't know anything about walkers but he learned quickly. He left to go find his wife and son. Last I saw of him, he had."

Beth nodded, not knowing what else to say.

"I wasn't exactly…lucid…last time we met. But, he had helped me to realize something important then." He paused, "I'd like to meet back up with him if I can. Thank him, if I can." He studied her once again, looking over her from head to toe. "If you're going to track them down, you can only have strength in numbers. May I join you?"

Beth thought it over, knowing this could probably be a bad idea but her gut was screaming at her to say yes.

She nodded.

He returned it, smiling gently. "My name's Morgan. What's yours, girl?"

"Beth."

-x-


	7. PART 7

-x-

PART 7

-x-

After Carol woke up, Dawn had been called away by another officer and she had left Beth alone with her friend for a couple of minutes. Carol wasn't very lucid - after all, she had been severely injured and had just come out of a small coma - but she seemed to understand who Beth was and where she was at. Beth was thankful for that, at least.

When Dawn walked back in though, Beth knew the game had changed.

She had been having that feeling in her gut since Carol had been wheeled in, but now that Dawn was approaching her with the order to get her things and change, she knew it had been legitimate.

Her family was here.

After changing back into the clothes that they brought her in, she was escorted out to the cars. Carol was being pushed in a wheelchair next to her and at least two cops were watching them. Beth was directed into the back seat and she watched as they helped Carol in next to her. Dawn got in the passenger seat in front of Beth and another cop got in the driver's seat.

The car's occupants were silent, but the tension was high. Beth clenched her fists on her lap, looking out the window as the car pulled out of the gated fence. She remembered when she had helped Noah escape, how close she had been to freedom as well. And now she was being escorted out by her jailers. Funny how things worked out.

The officers directed the vehicle to a parking garage nearby, and they went all the way to the top to the roof. Beth tried to keep calm, but she couldn't help but lean forward to catch a glimpse, any glimpse, of who was waiting. The car stopped near another cop car, where two officers were standing in nonthreatening positions, looking over at another man near the edge of the roof. Beth looked closer at the other man and sucked in a breath.

It was Rick.

There was a car already behind him, and Beth wondered who was in it.

Dawn got out and opened Beth's door, pulling her out by the arm. The cop from the driver's seat helped Carol back into her wheelchair and then once again Beth was standing next to her friend. Dawn's hand gripped her arm tightly, but Beth refused to flinch.

When Rick saw them presented, he made a signal to the car behind him. Tyreese and Sasha got out and escorted the two cop hostages they held over to stand opposite of Dawn's group.

Then the exchange began.

Carol went first, along with the female cop from the other side. As Carol was wheeled over, Beth had a tingling sensation on the back of her neck and she squinted up, over at the building behind Rick. She knew that if Rick and the rest of them were here, then Daryl had to be with the group. And she knew if Daryl wasn't down here, then he was standing guard over them all somehow, because she knew he wouldn't leave Rick nor her unprotected. As her eyes scanned the line of the buildings, a flash of light caught her attention and she just _knew_ and she couldn't help smiling.

Dawn's grip on her arm turned painful and Beth was brought back to the situation and the realization that it was now her turn. Dawn escorted her to the middle where Rick stood with the male cop, ready to exchange the two. For a moment, the four only stood there. Rick glared Dawn down, and Dawn seemed to hesitate. Beth held her breath, waiting and hoping that Dawn wouldn't do anything stupid. Her fingernails clenched into Beth's skin and then she shoved Beth forward. Beth didn't stumble, wouldn't give the woman the satisfaction, but she continued over to Rick's side with her head held high. Rick placed his hand soothingly on her shoulder and glanced over her face with a concerned and gentle look. She knew he saw her scars but she didn't say anything nor look away. He turned back to Dawn, lightly pushing Beth towards the car where Sasha and Tyreese waited with Carol already placed in her seat.

Beth heard Rick say the deal was done now and that his group would leave first. Once they were safely away, then Dawn and the rest could leave. If they tried to follow, then Rick's people would retaliate. Beth risked one last glance back and saw Dawn's jaw clench before nodding. Then the older woman's eyes slid over to Beth's figure and Beth met her stare without flinching. Her conversations with the cop came back to her as she turned on her heel and got in the car's front passenger seat.

"_I am strong._"

"_I'm gonna get out of here. Just like Noah._"

"_You proved me wrong. You are strong._"

Beth slammed the door shut and looked out the front windshield. Rick turned the car on and began to pull forward and around the cop car slowly. As they passed, Beth's eyes once again caught Dawn's and she didn't look away until the car was back inside the parking garage and plunged in the darkness it created.

Right after turning out of the garage, Rick drove a block or two before pulling beside a building, out of sight and braked, waiting for something. Beth glanced over at him then down to where his hand was clenching a walkie-talkie. A few seconds passed by with a tense silence blanketing the group. Suddenly the device crackled to life and a gravelly voice came through and Beth felt the air leave her lungs.

"All clear."

Daryl.

Rick affirmed that he heard and shot Beth a quick glance, having heard her intake of air. His eyes were warm but she avoided the look all the same. Rick lifted his foot from the brake and pulled back onto the road. She gripped her seat in anticipation.

She still didn't allow herself a breath of relief until they had driven a couple of blocks and turned into a small alley hidden behind another building. Rick got out, as did the rest of them, and Beth followed suit. The shadows created from the building covered them as they walked towards an entrance, but before they reached it, two people walked out of it.

The first was Noah, and Beth felt some tension ease from her shoulder at the sight of him safe and with her family. He smiled at her and she returned it.

The next, however, was who stole her breath away and returned it in a great sweep of relief.

Daryl stepped out, his crossbow over his shoulder, his hair somehow longer than she remembered and falling into his eyes- eyes that immediately searched and found her standing mere feet from him.

Her heart stopped beating for a moment before starting up tenfold. Her feet paused for a moment before they took off across the pavement. She bypassed Noah without another glance and she could see Daryl dropping his crossbow to the ground right before she launched herself into his arms. He held her close to him, almost clutching her painfully but she not only allowed it but returned it heartily. Her fists bunched up his leather vest, some of his hair caught in her grip. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and she felt him lift her up once against his body before he dropped to his knees with her still folded lovingly in his grip. He curled his body around hers, as though trying to merge them together as one, and she could almost swear she felt something wet and warm trickle down her neck, but she didn't care because, to be honest, she was crying too. She nuzzled his temple and breathed him in and she finally - _finally_ \- felt like she was safe again.

Like she was finally home.

-x-

_It just never made sense to me why Rick and Daryl (the guys who went to complete neutral territory just to TALK to the governor) would just agree to having the exchange in the belly of enemy territory like that. Lets keep in character and keep our heads now pls_


End file.
